Sanitary garment



May 22, 1962 L.. A. COLLIER SANITARY GARMENT INVENTOR. a0/A. (0a/fe BY M Araz/VEY Filed Feb. 18, 1960 United States Patent O 3,035,576 SANITARY GARNIENT Lucy A. Collier, 1036 Blum St., Toledo, Ohio Filed Feb. 1S, 1960, Ser. No. 9,558 1 Claim. (Cl. 12S-284) This invention relates to a sanitary garment, and it more particularly relates to a sanitary garment of the pantie type adapted to hold a removable protective device.

Various types of sanitary panties incorporating protective units such as sanitary napkins or the like have heretofore been provided. However, these prior type garments were generally of the ordinary pants type, which were put on and removed by drawing over the legs. This proved undesirable when the garment was soiled because, during removal, the thighs and legs also tended to become soiled from contact with the garment. Furthermore, if the wearer was an invalid confined to a bed or wheel chair and unable to lift the legs, it presented `a difficult situation when the garment had to be put on or removed.

In addition to the aforementioned difculties, these prior garments were generally insufficiently moistureproofed and therefore did not adequately serve their purpose.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages by providing a sanitary garment which is provided with a removable and replaceable sanitary unit and which can be easily applied and removed to the wearers body without difficulty and Without danger of additional soiling of legs and mighs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment of the aforesaid type which may be utilized either by ordinary women and girls during their menstrual periods, `or by bed-ridden or otherwise incapacitated invalids for general sanitary purposes.

Another object of `the present invention is to provide a sanitary garment of the aforesaid type which is simple in construction and which will not tend to become easily torn or damaged.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved sanitary garment, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efhcient in operation.

With the above and related objects in View, this inven tion consists in the details `of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a garment embodying the present invention, the garment being shown in open condition and with a diaper secured thereto.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 Kis an elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a diaper in partly folded position, said diaper being adapted for use as an insert.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin adapted for use as an insert.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a garment, generally designated 10, comprising a front panel 12 and a rear panel 14. The panels 12 and 14 are integrally connected by a crotch portion 16. The crotch portion 16 is defined on opposite sides by arcuate indentations 13 forming leg openings.

The garment is constructed of cotton, nylon or similar material and is provided with elastic bands at the waist portion. These elastic bands are provided at 20 on the panel 12, and at 22 on the panel 14 and serve to support elastic tapes 24 land 26 respectively, these :tapes being ice sewn between the respective bands 20 and 22 and the corresponding panels 12 yand 14. Each tape 24 and 26 is provided with a ring, as at 28 and 30, these rings serving as eyelets through which are adapted to extend the opposite ends of a diaper 32.

As additional moisture-proof protection at the critical areas, there is provided an insert 34 of rubber or the like. This insert 34 is shaped to fit the `crotch portion 16 of the garment and extends partially toward the opposite ends of the panels 12 and 14. Since the rubber might tend to cause undue irritation of the skin in the vicinity of the stomach and back, however, it is preferred to terminate the insert considerably short of the opposite ends of the panels 12 and 14.

In order to provide means for holding the panels 12 and 14 closed around the body of the wearer in the form of a pantie, snaps 36 are provided along opposite sides of the garment 10, the snap portions on `one side being female and those on the other being male.

With the diaper 32 in place (as in FIG. 1), it is merely necessary to slip the open garment 10 beneath the buttocks of the wearer and then draw up the panels 12 and 14 on either side. The snap fasteners are then closed and the panties are in position. To remove, it is merely necessary to unsnap the fasteners and slide the open gar-ment out sideways from under the wearer.

Although snap fasteners 36 have been illustrated in FIG. l as the closure means, it should be understood that any other desirable type of closure means may be substituted therefor. For example, in FIG. 3, there is shown a garment, generally designated 40, Where the closure means comprise slide fasteners or zippers, indicated at 42.

The garment `40, except for the use `of zippers l42 instead of snap fasteners 36, is substantially like garment 10 but for a change in the rubber insert. In garment 40, the insert 44, similarly to insert 34, extends only partially up the front panel 46, terminating at `the line 48. However, on the rear panel 50, the insert 44 extends `completely up to the elastic band 52 so that the entire seat of the garment is moisture-proofed. This is often of importance since in many cases, the seat portion is much more subject to soiling than is the front portion of the garment.

The type and folded arrangement of diaper preferably used is illustrated in FIG. 4 where the diaper 32 is shown in partly folded position. In this type of folded arrangement, two opposite corners are folded in to form a generally rectangular shape and the other two corners are then bent through the opposite rings 28 and 30 and retained in place by safety pins 54 or the like. If desired any other convenient type of protective unit may be used instead of the diaper 32.

One type of protective unit Vwhich may be used in place of diaper 32 is a sanitary pad `such as illustrated at 60 in FIG. 5. This pad 60 comprises a `strip of fabric 62 provided with absorbent material 64. The opposite ends of the strip 62 are adapted to be bent over as aps 66, and these flaps 66 yare adapted to extend through the rings 2S and 30. Saftey pins 68 or the like serve to retain the sanitary napkin 60 on the garment after the flaps 66 have been inserted through the rings 28 and 30.

While the garment has been shown as having open sides `and operable closure means, some users may prefer -to use'it in closed position only with the yadvantages presented by the rubber inserts 34 or 44, and to satisfy such users, the operable sides may be made permanently closed by sewing the same instead -of using snaps 36 or zippers 42.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the natu-re of this invention, what is claimed is:

A sanitary garment for `an adult which is readily removable and replaceable While the adult is in a prone position, said garment comprising panties including a front panel, a back panel and a crotch portion integrally connecting said front .and back panels, said crotch portion being defined at opposite side edges by arcuate indentations at the meeting areas of said front and back panels, an elastic band secured along the upper end edge of each said front and back panels, a narrow anchoring tape secured solely at one end to each said panel edge and said elastic band at the midpoint thereof and depending therefrom toward but ending subtantially short of said crotch port-ion, a protective unit extending between said tapes in overlying relationship to said crotch portion and said panels, the other end of each tape being free, a ring on said free end of each tape, said protective unit being releasably secured to said tapes by foldable ends of said unit being inseited through the corresponding rings on said tapes and releasably secured yin looped fashion therethrough, and a moisture-proof insert overlying said crotch portion and at least a portion of each of said panels and underlying said protective unit, and cooperative fastening means on the opposite side edges of said panels between said end edges and said crotch indentations holding said front and back panels in pantie forming position with said arcuate edges providing leg openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,079 Walter et al Sept. 19, 1950 2,678,648 De Woskin May 18, 1954 2,954,770 Roth Oct. 4, 1960 

